Is Zhao Family Martial Hall Out of People?

Li Chong had no intention of stepping down.

He stood on the platform, his gaze slowly sweeping across the directions of the Zhao Family Martial Hall, Shi Family Martial Hall, and Raging Tide Martial Academy. The corners of his lips curled upward slightly.

"Who else?" His voice was not loud, but every word carried a provocation.

A disciple from the Shi Family Martial Hall could not hold back and leaped onto the platform. The two exchanged dozens of moves, but the Shi Family Martial Hall disciple was still a cut below. He was forced off the platform by a single punch.

Li Chong's chest rose and fell slightly, and sweat had appeared on his forehead.

He smiled toward Yu Tai on the second floor, his smile smug and clearly seeking credit. Then he jumped down from the platform and went to the side to catch his breath.

"Rushing Thunder Martial Academy's Li Chong, two battles, two victories! He will rest for now. Next—" Constable Qi spoke at just the right moment, his voice ringing loud and clear.

Before his words had faded, a young man had already leaped onto the platform.

He wore a white martial outfit embroidered with the words "Flying Cloud" over his chest. Fair and delicate-looking, with a scholarly air, he did not look like a martial artist at all, but rather a bookish scholar.

He cupped his hands toward the crowd below. "Flying Cloud Martial Academy, Yu Hao. Please instruct me."

This man was not well known. The crowd below whispered among themselves for a while, yet few could say where he had come from.

Wu Mingyuan's eyes lit up.

He had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.

Ever since he had arrived here that morning, he had been waiting. Waiting for a soft persimmon to squeeze, waiting for a chance to make himself known.

He wanted to defeat his opponent before all these important people, so his master, his family, the county deputy magistrate, and everyone else could see that Wu Mingyuan was not some good-for-nothing living off free meals.

Afraid someone would steal his thunder, he strode out of the crowd with quick, urgent steps.

He too wore a white martial outfit today, tied with a dark belt. His hair was combed without a strand out of place. Standing on the platform, he cut quite the figure of jade tree in the wind.

He cupped his hands toward Yu Hao, his voice clear and bright. "Zhao Family Martial Hall, Wu Mingyuan. Please."

At the main table on the second floor of Listening Wind Tower, Wu Boyong, head of the Wu Clan, and Wu Boxian, head of the second branch, both nodded slightly, their faces carrying a measure of expectation.

Wu Mingyu sat at another table and took a sip of tea, a smile lingering at his lips. Though this concubine-born younger brother of his was not particularly likable, he was still a member of the Wu Clan. If he won, the Wu Clan would gain face as well.

But the smile on his lips lasted only a few breaths.

Wu Mingyuan lasted only five moves.

Yu Hao's boxing was a needle hidden in cotton. It did not look forceful, yet every punch struck a vital point. Wu Mingyuan's stance was steady, but his reactions were too slow. Yu Hao used a feint to shake open his defense, then drove a real punch into his ribs. Wu Mingyuan gave a muffled groan, staggered back three steps, slipped, and fell from the platform.

Wu Mingyuan lay sprawled beneath the platform and did not get up for a long while. His spotless white clothes were covered in mud, his hair had come loose, and several messy strands hung over his forehead. He looked utterly bedraggled.

The training ground fell silent for a moment, then erupted in laughter.

The young nobles at the second-floor tables laughed until they rocked back and forth. Some slapped the table, while others clutched their stomachs. A young master of the Li Family pointed at Wu Mingyu, laughing until tears came out. "Wu Mingyu, did your little brother go up there to perform wrestling? His form was pretty standard!"

The smile froze on Wu Mingyu's face, and the hand holding his cup trembled slightly. He gritted his teeth and did not say a word, but his face had flushed bright red.

Wu Boxian narrowed his eyes, his brow creasing slightly.

Wu Boyong sat at the main table with no change in expression, but his grip around the teacup tightened.

Zhao Yan's expression was not pleasant either.

The smile on County Deputy Magistrate Su Zhengyuan's face faded. He lifted his teacup, took a sip, and said nothing.

Yu Hao stood on the platform and cupped his hands. He casually said, "You let me win," without much expression on his face. There was nothing to be proud of in defeating Wu Mingyuan.

Then he turned toward the crowd below and waited for the next opponent.

The county deputy magistrate's faction had lost three battles in a row. They had truly lost face.

Pei Xin of the Raging Tide Martial Academy leaped onto the platform.

He ranked among the stronger Bright Force disciples of the Raging Tide Martial Academy. His Bright Force had reached completion, and his fighting style was ruthless.

He traded more than twenty moves with Yu Hao. Palm winds howled as each move grew fiercer than the last. On the twenty-third move, Pei Xin struck Yu Hao in the chest with a Raging Tide Palm. Yu Hao staggered back several steps, realized he was outmatched, cupped his hands in surrender, and jumped down from the platform.

Another disciple from Longwind Martial Hall stepped onto the platform to challenge Pei Xin. The two fought for more than thirty moves, but Pei Xin was likewise more skilled. He forced the other man back with a palm strike, and the man did not continue pressing the fight, instead clasping his fists and admitting defeat.

At last, the Raging Tide Martial Academy had recovered a little face for the county deputy magistrate's faction.

Pei Xin's breathing was slightly labored, and sweat dotted his forehead. He cupped his hands to the crowd below before stepping down to rest as well.

The matches continued. Disciples from the various martial halls took the stage in turn, with victories and defeats roughly even.

The atmosphere in the training ground grew hotter and hotter. Cheers, sighs, and jeers mingled together like a pot of boiling water exploding.

Some strutted proudly after winning; some left defeated and dust-covered. Some fell from the platform and drew laughter from the entire crowd, while others subdued their opponents with two or three punches and won thunderous applause.

Before long, more than half the matches had passed.

Having rested enough, Li Chong took the stage again.

This time, he intended to make a grand show of himself.

He stood on the platform and looked around. His gaze finally settled on the few members of the Zhao Family Martial Hall, and though his voice was not loud, everyone in the arena heard him clearly.

"Can the Zhao Family Martial Hall send someone up and let me learn a few brilliant moves?"

His tone was casual, but the contempt in his eyes was nearly spilling over.

The entire venue fell silent, then exploded with a buzz.

This was a named challenge.

Not a friendly spar, not a contest—it was a slap across the Zhao Family Martial Hall's face before all the city's powerful and influential figures.

If the Zhao Family Martial Hall did not dare accept, they would never be able to hold their heads high in the county town again. If they accepted but sent someone unworthy, it would be even more humiliating.

Li Chong's move was both vicious and cruel, placing the Zhao Family Martial Hall over a fire to roast.

On the second floor, Zhao Yan's expression darkened.

Across from him, Yu Tai looked as though he were enjoying a fine show. The corners of his lips lifted as he raised his teacup and took a sip, looking more pleased than if he had drunk honey.

Below the platform, Xu Qing frowned. He had only taken one step forward when Chen Wang grabbed his sleeve.

"Junior Brother Xu." Chen Wang lowered his voice and spoke quickly. "Li Chong's Bright Force has reached completion. He is one of the formidable Bright Force disciples of the Rushing Thunder Martial Academy. You have only reached minor completion in Bright Force—you cannot fight him!"

Xu Qing opened his mouth, wanting to say that he had actually reached major completion in Bright Force. Over the past eight days, his force had quietly grown by another great deal.

But before he could speak, Chen Wang had already released his sleeve and strode toward the platform. As he walked, he turned back and tossed out a sentence. "I'll take this match."

Xu Qing reached out to stop him, but failed.

Chen Wang was already on the platform.

He stood at the center, cupped his hands and clasped his fists, then smiled. "Zhao Family Martial Hall, Chen Wang. Please instruct me."

Li Chong glanced at him, and the corner of his lips curved slightly. His gaze changed with it, like a cat spotting a mouse.

Chen Wang's gaze was solemn. He knew there was some gap between himself and Li Chong, but it should not be too great.

They were both at Bright Force completion. How great could the difference be?

He set his horse stance, held both fists before and behind to guard his centerline, took a deep breath, and assumed the stance of the Five Elements Fist.

He had practiced this stance for more than a year. He could perform it without error even with his eyes closed.

He struck first.

A proper, straightforward Cannon Fist shot directly toward Li Chong's chest.

This punch was a probe. He held back thirty percent of his strength, ready to change moves at any moment.

Li Chong did not dodge.

He barely even changed his posture. He merely turned his shoulder slightly, allowing Chen Wang's fist to brush past his clothes. In that instant, Chen Wang's fist was only an inch from his chest, yet that one inch remained forever out of reach.

At the same time, Li Chong's right fist violently flipped out from his waist.

That punch was too fast.

It was not a probe, nor did it show any restraint. It was a full-force punch.

The fist wind tore through the air with a muffled "whoom," like a huge stone being hurled away. His fist slammed solidly into the center of Chen Wang's chest.

Chen Wang's eyes widened abruptly.

He felt as though a galloping horse had crashed into him head-on. His entire body flew into the air, both feet leaving the ground. His back arched behind him as he traced an arc through the air, then crashed heavily off the platform.

Bang! The dull impact made everyone's chests tighten.

The entire venue was deathly silent.

Li Chong stood on the platform and slowly withdrew his fist, his face utterly expressionless.

He had not wanted to spar with Chen Wang. He wanted to break the Zhao Family Martial Hall's face. That was why his very first punch had been full force, leaving no room and giving no face.

Chen Wang was no match for him. The gap between them was too great—so great that Chen Wang could not even withstand one punch.

One punch.

Just one punch.

Above and below, there was first a stretch of dead silence, then—

Someone at the main table on the second floor laughed. Not loudly, but the kind of soft laugh snorted through the nose, filled with a sense of superiority. It was not loud, yet it carried far.

"Is the Zhao Family Martial Hall out of people?" someone drawled lazily, their voice neither high nor low, just loud enough for Zhao Yan to hear.

"Chen Wang? Never heard of him," another voice chimed in. "I thought the Zhao Family Martial Hall would send someone formidable."

"One punch, and he was sent flying off. What do you call that? Making a spectacle of yourself."

Zhao Yan ignored those cold taunts. He looked at Chen Wang lying on the ground, his eyes filled only with concern.

The young masters from the county magistrate's faction also became lively.

Some slapped their thighs and laughed. Some pointed down below with folded fans, whispering to those beside them as they laughed until they rocked back and forth. Their words were neither loud nor soft, pricking over like needles.

"The Zhao Family Martial Hall is only this good?"

"I thought he would be someone impressive. In the end, he was sent flying with one punch."

"That Chen Wang is Wu Mingyuan's senior brother, right? The junior brother is no good, and the senior brother is even worse. Is the Zhao Family Martial Hall sending brother soldiers into battle to lose face together?"

Everyone from the county deputy magistrate's faction looked grim.

Some lowered their heads to drink tea. Some pretended not to hear. Some wanted to retort, yet did not know how.

This contest had originally been an opportunity for the martial halls to display their strength.

Yet the Zhao Family Martial Hall had been so disappointing, losing two matches in a row. Wu Mingyuan had been knocked off the platform in five moves, while Chen Wang had been blasted away by one punch. Even the county deputy magistrate had lost face because of them.

They had been humiliated again.